Envelope-opener



(No Model.)

P. CURTIS.

ENVELOPE OPENER.

No. 388,343. Patented Aug. 21, 1888.

wi/iwmozy 51w 01 1- to NITED STATES FRANCIS CURTIS, OF SPRINGFIELD,MASSACHUSETTS.

ENVELOPE-OPENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 388,343, dated August21, 1888.

Application filed March 7, 1887. Serial No. 230,064.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANCIS CURTIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Spring field, in the county of Hampdeu and State ofMassachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements inEnvelope-Openers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to envelope-openers, the object being to providean improved machine ofthis class for on ttingthe edge ofa folded andsealed envelope,whereby the latter may be easily opened to remove itscontents; and the invention consists in the peculiar construction andarrangement of the various parts of the device, all as hereinafter fullydescribed, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure l is aperspective view of an envelope-opener constructed according to myinvention. Figs. 2 to 7, inclusive, illustrate in perspective views andin side elevation and section detail parts of the machine, hereinafterfully described.

In the drawings, 2 indicates the bed of the machine, which is made withupwardly-projecting surrounding borders to form a bed of a box form forthe reception of clippings from out envelopes, thereby preventing saidclip pings from being scattered on a desk or table where the opener maybe used.

The operating parts of the opener are, as below described, so hung onsaid bed that they do not interfere with the discharge of said clippingsfrom the bed by turning the latter partially over. The said bed has anupright post, 8, at each of its rear corners, to which the knife-frame 4is pivoted, and each of said posts is provided with a pivotpin, 14, (seeFig. 7, which show parts of said knife-frame and post in section,together with said pin 14 in side elevation,) which is free to be turnedand moved endwise therein, having a grooved outer end, and on its innerend a stud, 0, located eccentrically to the axis of said pin. A bushing,18, is placed in each end of said knife-frame, having a socket in itsend to receive said stud 0. A set-screw, 15, is placed in the end of thesaid post 3, which serves to lock said pin 14 in any position to whichit may be moved or turned.

The knife-frame 4 has the knife 8 secured (No model.)

thereto, as below described, and the purpose of the above-describedeccentric pivot-connection of the said frame to the posts 3 is toprovide convenient means for adj ustingsaid frame and knife horizontallytoward the edge of the cutter-plate 9, which is seen red, as shown, onthe bed 2 opposite the edge of the knife 8, whereby the properengagement of the edges of said knife and plate is effected to securethe desired cutting action. Therefore, by turning said pins 14 by theapplication of a screwdriver thereto the said adjustment of theknifeframe and knife is accomplished and the set-screws 15 prevent anyderangement of said adjustment. The said knife-frame has on one end ofit a perforated projection, 12, through which a screw passes into thebed 2, and between said projection and the bottom of the bed is placed aspiral spring, 13, through which the screw 10 passes. Said spring servesto hold the pivoted knife-frame 4 in an upward position, or in thatshown in Fig. 1, and the head of the screw 10, by engagement with saidprojection 12, limits the upward movement of said frame. By locating thespring 13 and the screw 10 in the position shown at the end of theknife-frame and bed that part of the bed beneath the knife 8 is keptfree, so that the aforesaid clippings from the envelopes may be easilythrown out of said bed.

Fig. 2 is perspective rear view of one end of the knife-frame and of oneend of the gage 7, which is connected thereto. Fig. 3 is a perspectivefront view of one end of the k nifeframe, whereon is shown in dottedlines the position of the knife 8 relative to the upper side of saidframe, and to a knife-adjusting screw, 16,0f which there are two in theframe, as shown in Fig. 5, which is a front elevation of said frame. Insaid Fig. 2 is shown aportion of the knife-clamp 5, which is securedagainst the knife 8 and on the frame 4 by the screws 00. The front edgeof the knife-frame is given an inclined form, as shown, so that when theknife Sis secured thereon it will be brought to a corresponding inclinedposition relative to the adjoining edge of the cutterplate 9, wherebythe knife, when moved against the edge of said plate for cuttingpurposes, is caused to have the desirable shear movement. The aforesaidscrews 16 are located in the knife-frame directly behind the rear edgeof the knife 8, and are capable of being screwed against the edge of thelatter to move it outward for close adjustment, and said screwsconstitute an additional means of adjustment for the knife, the othermeans being the above-described eccentric'ally studd ed pins 14. Saidscrews 16, while serving a useful purpose for very close adjustment,may, if desired, be omitted from the machine.

The gage 7 having thereon the arms a a is adj ustably attached to theknife-frame 4 under the knife 8, and is capable of being adjusted towardand from the outer edge of said knife independently of any movement ofthe knife-frame, in order to determine the width of the clippings whichare cut from the end of an envelope, whereby one end thereof is opened,for in opening an envelope by means of the within-described device oneend is placed on the cutter-plate 9 and pushed against the gage 7, andthen the knife-bearing side of the frame 4 is swung downward by pressingon the handle 6, carrying the edge of the knife 8 against the envelope,the edge of said knife and the edge of said cutterplate co operating inthe usual way to clip the end of the envelope. As illustrated in Figs.

2, 3, and 5, the front edge of the knife-frame has formed therein twotransverse grooves,z a, which grooves receive the said arms a, and ascrew, 17, (see Fig. 2,) passes upward through the frame 4 against theunder side of each of the arms on the gage 7, thereby securing thelatter in any position to which it may have beenadjusted. The arms ahave a bearing against the under side of the knife-clamp 5 when saidscrews are turned against them,

What I claim as my invention is- 1. The bed 2, having the posts 3thereon, the eccentric'ally-studded pins 14, passing through said posts,the knife-frame having a pivotal connection with the studs on said pins,the knife 8,- attached to said frame, and the cutter-plate 9, attachedto the bed opposite said knife, combined and operating substantially asset forth.

'2. An envelope-opener consisting of the bed 2, having a box form, asdescribed, and the posts 3 thereon extending above the border of saidbed, the cutter-plate 9,secured on the latter, the knife-frame 4:,havinga pivotal connection with said posts, the knife 8 and the gage 7,attached to said knife-frame, the adj usting-screws 16,engaging with therear edge of said knife, the screw 10, engaging with said frame and bed,and the spring- 13, combined and operating substantially as set forth.

3. In combination, the knife-frame 4, having the grooves z z therein,the knife-clamp 5, the gage 7, having arms thereon entering saidgrooves, and the screws 17, passing through said frame against saidarms.

FRANCIS CURTIS.

Witnesses:

WM. H. CHAPIN, G. M. CHAMBERLAIN.

